Welcoming new associate members!

It is a pleasure to welcome four new associate members to the VOICE Network over the last couple of weeks.

• The Centre Pour La Justice Environnementale (CJE) Togo is a community-centered organization working at the intersection of climate justice, forest conservation, energy transition, and cultural peace building. Rooted in indigenous and traditional knowledge, they partner with local communities and civil society organizations to advance biodiversity and food sovereignty, advocate for a people-controlled shift to renewable energy, and build capacity around environmental, social, and gender justice — all while recognizing culture as an essential force for ecological integrity and peaceful coexistence.
• SYNAPARCAM is a Cameroonian association working to improve the living conditions of communities affected by agro-industrial, forestry, and mining operations, while promoting rights-based and sustainable resource governance. Active in the cocoa sector since 2020, they focus particularly on smallholder farmers in the Southwest and Littoral regions — building their capacity, raising awareness on land tenure, traceability, and living income, and providing technical support to ensure compliance with environmental and social standards, including the requirements of the EUDR.
• Water Witness is a UK-registered charity based in Edinburgh that works to ensure water resources are managed within environmental limits, upholding human rights and supporting resilient livelihoods. Through research, advocacy, and on-the-ground action across Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda, they address water insecurity in all its forms — including its intersection with agricultural commodities like cocoa. Their latest report on water risks in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa sector reflects a strong alignment with VOICE Network’s mission to advance sustainability and equity in cocoa supply chains.
• Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is a US-based nonprofit with nearly 80 years of experience supporting communities threatened by poverty. For over two decades, they have worked with smallholder cocoa and coffee farmers across Africa, Latin America, and Asia through regenerative agroforestry and inclusive market systems. LWR brings to VOICE Network a wealth of field-tested evidence, active policy engagement — including support for Tanzania’s National Cocoa and Coffee Strategy — and a unique capacity to bridge cocoa networks across regions in service of a fair, sustainable, and farmer-centered global cocoa sector.

This expansion reflects VOICE priority to bring together a chorus of voices from different parts of the world with different angles to ensure our advocacy combines the needs of the CSO cocoa sector as a whole.

Are you interested in joining the VOICE Network? Find out whether you are eligible and how to apply here or send an email to Suzan Yemidi, our Head of Strategic Partnerships.